I need a new barrel

[Buckskin]

I need another rifle project... I am thinking of going with a new barrel instead of rifle to keep costs down and because I've had such good luck with previous Encore barrels that I can also save a bunch of money not needing to accurize a bolt action.
 
What calibers should I be thinking about. I want something in the 25 cal to 6mm range and of course I want an accurate tack driver which can be accurately stretched out to +500 yards. Uses would be paper, varmints and possibly a deer round for my kids.  I'm giving a lot of consideration to the 25-06, but would consider others such as the 257 Wby Mag, or something in a 6mm (243).  What do you guys think???  By the way, I roll my own so not limited to factory loads, but don't really want to have to go through too much trouble forming up  brass if I don't have to...

[Lloyd Smale]

if  your looking a caliber that will reach out and touch deer out of your choises that leaves the 2506 and 257 wby. The weatherby is going to be a bit much for the kids and an overkill on varmits. If you want weatherby think 240 for what your doing. Its pretty close to a 2506 in both range and power. 243 and 6mm are a bit light on deer over 300 yards but are probably better varmiters then any of the .25s. If you want wildcat another good choise for long range deer and varmits would be a 257 roberts imp. which is also very close to a 2506. Looking at all your choises the 25-06 is going to be the easiest to deal with. Lots of cheap brass. Ammo can be store bought anywhere and it shoots near as flat as most mag rifles with a heck of alot less recoil.

[roper]

I need another rifle project... I am thinking of going with a new barrel instead of rifle to keep costs down and because I've had such good luck with previous Encore barrels that I can also save a bunch of money not needing to accurize a bolt action.
 
What calibers should I be thinking about. I want something in the 25 cal to 6mm range and of course I want an accurate tack driver which can be accurately stretched out to +500 yards. Uses would be paper, varmints and possibly a deer round for my kids.  I'm giving a lot of consideration to the 25-06, but would consider others such as the 257 Wby Mag, or something in a 6mm (243).  What do you guys think???  By the way, I roll my own so not limited to factory loads, but don't really want to have to go through too much trouble forming up  brass if I don't have to...

Let see you want a 25cal or 6mm  that you can shoot paper,varmint with and has to be tack driver out to + 500yds and may double as deer rifle for your kids.  First question do you think your kids can handle 25-06 but you would consider 257 Wby so could they handle that?

[Buckskin]

I need another rifle project... I am thinking of going with a new barrel instead of rifle to keep costs down and because I've had such good luck with previous Encore barrels that I can also save a bunch of money not needing to accurize a bolt action.
 
What calibers should I be thinking about. I want something in the 25 cal to 6mm range and of course I want an accurate tack driver which can be accurately stretched out to +500 yards. Uses would be paper, varmints and possibly a deer round for my kids.  I'm giving a lot of consideration to the 25-06, but would consider others such as the 257 Wby Mag, or something in a 6mm (243).  What do you guys think???  By the way, I roll my own so not limited to factory loads, but don't really want to have to go through too much trouble forming up  brass if I don't have to...

Let see you want a 25cal or 6mm  that you can shoot paper,varmint with and has to be tack driver out to + 500yds and may double as deer rifle for your kids.  First question do you think your kids can handle 25-06 but you would consider 257 Wby so could they handle that?

 
Do you know what the word possibly means...  And yes I think my son could handle the 25-06, he handles a 7-08 just fine. I do have other options for them and they won't stay young forever. Pretty much settled on the 06, just wondering if there is anything else that I should consider before I pull the trigger.

[nomosendero]

I think you are going the right direction.

[roper]

Buckskin, Sure I know what the word possibly means but I've also seen kids that can shoot a rifle  but dad has to pack the rifle.  Sorry I asked the question.

[nomosendero]

 

[Lloyd Smale]

I sure wouldnt worry about recoil in a 2506. Sure they make some noise but very little recoil. My hunting partners two 11 and 12 year old daughters each have a savage 2506 and have taken probably a half a dozen deer each with them. They even manage to carry them I bought each of my first 3 grandkids 243s for first deer guns. There ages 12-16 one girl and two boys. I needed one for my youngest grandkid who just turned 11. I wanted to buy another 243 just so that i wouldnt need to load differnt ammo for them and i could load in bulk for practice ammo for them. Thing is i came across a deal on a 25-06 i couldnt pass up. I think it was free   Well truth be told i was going through my guns one day and found it in the safe and honestly cant remember ever buying it so ill call it free. All the older three have shot this gun. I never told them it was more powerful then there 243s and they never once thought it was any harder kicking. The day we were at the range the youngest whos gun it is shot 20 rounds out of it and never once said anything about it hurting him. Tell a kid a gun is going to hurt or have them shoot without quality ear protection and youll get another shooter like some on the forum here that think even an 06 is a hard kicking gun. Heck my 16 year old grandson shoots my 300 wby and his favorite gun i have is my 7stw.,

[Buckskin]

Yes, recoil is more in the head than anything.  I have a nephew who is 9 and maybe 65 pounds soaking wet. He regularly shoots trap with a 12ga 870.  He can hardly hold it up and when he shoots it knocks him back about a foot.  But he would shoot a hundred rounds if he could... 
 
And if a kid doesn't WANT to carry a gun while hunting, he really has no passion for the sport and likely doesn't have much gumption to begin with.  My sons who are too young to hunt, go hunting with me, they beg to be able to carry the gun.  On occasion when I have potential for long shots I will bring my 300 RUM which weighs a tad over 10lbs.  They look like a guy humping out a quarter of an elk, but they have a smile on their face...

[Catfish]

I like the 6 - 284 with an 8 twist. It will will do well over 500 yrds. with the 105 and 107 grn. bullets.

[peak98]

260 or 6.5C would be be my two choices. Both easily kill deer at 500y.

[shot1]

I think the 25-06 is a very wise choice. I am very partial to the 25-06. For 15 years I helped my hunting buddy control hunt a big farm for white tail deer. We had to take 100 deer off the farm each year. We shot them with about everything from a 22 lr  through a 45-70. We both settled on the 25-06 as our go to caliber of choice. I don't know what it is about the 25-06 but with 100 to 120 gr bullets put anywhere in the heart, lung area of a deer and 99% of the time it drops in it's tracks. Favorite bullet for deer is 117 gr Sierra. For varmints you can really reach out there and scatter them red mist style. The 87 gr Sierra will evaporate on contact with a groundhog and scatter it everywhere. I have not tried the 75 gr Hornady Vmax but it probably will be a great varmint bullet also.